Permutation-lock-controlled mail-box.



A. MIKL'EA.

PERMUTATION LOCK CONTROLLED MAIL BOX.

APPLICATiON FILED SEPT. 1. 1917.

1 47, 1 33 Patented Nov. 20, 191 7;

2SHEETSSHEET I.

F| s.1. FIG-.2.

ama;

A. MIKLEA.

PEHMUTATION LUCK CONTIjOL-LED MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1. 1917.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET FIG. 5.

, i r r gvvliwntox UNITED STATES PATENT OIiFICE.

ALEXANDER MIKLEA, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PERMUTATION-LO(IX-CONTROLLED MAILBOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER Miriam, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Lock-Controlled Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to certain new and useful improvements in permutation lock controlled mail box.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a mail box adapted to receive pieces of mail such as letters, readily deposited therein arranged with a letter-delivering apparatus under the con tiol of a permutation lock mechanism, whereby aperson unfamiliar with the combination of the lock will beunable to gain access to the mail within the box.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a. safety appliance especially adapted for mail-receiving boxes arranged in hallways of houses and similar readily accessible points whereby the mail cansbe readily delivered from the box by the manipulation of permutation lock members by persons familiar with While the arrangement is such that the mail cannot be extracted or delivered exteriorly of the boxwithout first releasing the lock.

With these general objects in" view.and others that will appear as the mature of the invention is better understood, the same con-' sists in the novel combination and arrange ment of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device, Fig. 2'is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken upon a plane perpendicular to the plane of section of Fig. 2, f Fig. 4 is a horizontal transverse sectional view, of the device,

Fig, 5. is a view of the lock mechanism in its secured arrangement and Fig. 6 is a similar view with the lock released. I

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the mail box 10 is herein illustrated having i l I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 1, 1917.

the combination arranged forwardly of the lpartitiohr knob 36. An operating Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

Serial No. 189,361.

mg slot 12 arranged with a swinging guard positioned therein. The plate 11 is of the form commonly eml'ileyed with mail boxes for, houses and especially apartment houses, being arranged with a mouthpiece 14 for a spea king tube, not shown, and with a push-button 15 serving as a door-bell.-

A curved partition 16 is provided in the box 10 terminating forwardly at its upper end slightly beneath the slot 12 as at 17 While the rear wall 18 of the box is similarly curred, it being understood that letters such as 19 may be readily inserted through the slot 12 whichwill fall between the partition 1.6 and wall 18 toward the bottom 20 of the box. Sight tubes are provided through the plate 11 and partition 16 for determining the presence of mail matter within the box, the said tubes preferably having transparent windows 22 at their outer ends. I

An elevator 23 is. arranged for the mail. in the form of a platform vertically slidably positioned within the mail-receiving chamber 24 of the box, an arm 25' being carried by the platform and extending through a longitudinal slot 26 in the partition 16. a

.sleeve 27 being arranged upon the arm slidably positioned upon a curved guide-rod 28 16 within the mechanismrhamber 29 of the box and adjacent the slot 26. Tlfe r .a r'end of the elevator 23 is in the form of flange 30 while-rollers 31 are carried by the rear portion of the elevator. for moving upon the rear wall 18 of the box and rollers '32 are carried by the front edge thereof for moving upon the partition 16.

'a front plate 11 provided with a mail-receiw The elevator 23-is normally positioned ad jacent the bottom willbe evident that the elevator when placed through the slot 12 as best illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings while an upward movement of the elevator 23 will force the letter 19 eutwair'dly through the slot 12 in the dispensing operation as illustrated by dotted lines in the said figure.

20 of the box 10 audit A lock casing 33 is arranged upon the inner side ofthe plate 11 within the chamber 29-'o'f the box, a permutation lock 34 being-provided for the said casing having the usual dial 35 arranged outwardly of the plate 11 and provided with an operating button'3 7 for the a lctter-19 will fall upon elevator 23 is arranged outwardly adjacent the knob 36 being provided with a shaft 38 .freely journaled through the knob 36 and --'the casing 33 and provided with a gear 39 upon its inner end within the box chamber 29. Opposite winding spools 40 and 41 are arranged upon stub-shafts 42 and 43 respectively journaled through the rear plate 44 of,

, means of the button 37 will revolve the pinion as well as the spools and 41 in opposite directions.

A cord 47 is attached to the sleeve 27 as at 48 andpasses over a pulley 49 adjacent the top of the partition 16 and thence to the spool 41 to which it is secured as at 50. A similar cord 51 is attached to the sleeve 27 as at 52 and after passing over a pulley 53 upon the bottom 20 of the box 10 passes to the s 001 40 and is secured thereto as at 54. An e ongated pulley 55 is carried by the easing lid 44 above the pinions and 46 adapted for preventing the cord 47 from interfering with the operation of the said pinions. It will be understood that when the elevator 23 is in its lowered position, the button 37' may be turned for revolving the gear 39 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 of the drawings and the spool 41 will be thereby turned for winding up the cord 47 and elevating the member 23 with the letter 19 while the cord 51 .is being unwound from the opposite spool 40. A reversal of the direction of movement of the button 37 returns the elevator 23 to its lowered position while the weight of the elevator is also serviceable in lowering the same.

The bolt 56 is arranged for the lock 34 adapted to be automatically projected by a. spring 57 when released from the foot 58 of a latch 59 arranged with an elevating 7 spring 60. A star wheel 61 is arranged upon the inner end of the shaft 43 of the pinion 46 and spool 41 and is positioned within the 'path of movement of atooth 62 carried by the adjacent end of the bolt 56. An operatin lever 63 is pivoted upon the bolt 56 having an angular end 64 positioned upon thcperip'heries of the disks 65 and 66 of thelock 34 whenthe latch 59 is depressed by the adjacent end 67 of the lever 63 as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. At such times, the star wheel 61 being engaged by the tooth 62 prevents any rotation of the ear 39 by means of the button 37. Upon ringingzthe notches 68 and 69 of the permutation members 65 and 66 respectively into'alinement with the lever end 64, which and under the influence of the depressing spring 70 forms said end 64 into the said notches so that the turning of the member 66 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5 of the drawings will epgage'the shoulder or end 71 of the notch 63 withjhe lever end 64 and force the bolt'56 to'iitfl retracted position as illustrated in F' i 6,-

The tooth 62 is disengaged from the w 'eel 61 and the disengaging of the foot 58.193 the latch 59 from beneath the bolti56, per-, mits the spring 60 to elevate the latch, bruit ing the foot 58 adjacent the end 72 of th; bolt and preventing the s magi-'57 from' pro'jectin the bolt until tlie latch is released. pon tur nin the-disk 66 in the direction reverse to t at indicated by the arrow in.Fig. 6 of the drawings, the lever end 64 will be elevated out of the notches 68 and 69 for riding upon the peripheries of the disks 65 and 66. The lever 63 being pivotally shifted by this operation, the end 67 thereof will depress the latch 59, releasing the foot 58 from the face 72 of the bolt 56 and permitting the spring 57 to project the bolt to its locked posltion with the tooth 62 engaging the star wheel 61,as shown in Fig. 5. The locking of the star wheel 61 prevents the turning of the button 37 so that the operation of the elevator is rendered impossible.

A serviceable dispenser for mail from a deposit receptacle is arranged which is under the control of a permutation look so that a person familiar with the combination of the lock may readily release the bolt 56 so that the button 37 may be turned while 2. A mail box having an entrance slot, a

mail elevator vertically shiftably arranged within the box, an-operatin button for the elevator arranged outwardly of the box, operative connections between the said button and elevator and a permutation lock adapted for restraining engagement with the said connections operable adjacent the said button. a

3. A mail box having an entrance slot in its front plate adjacent the u per end thereof, a curved partition within the box terminatin at its upper end beneath the said slot an arranged with a longitudinal slot, an elevator within the box adapted for the reception of mail matter inserted through the said entrance slot, an arm-oar- A elevator attached to the said sleeve oppo-i sitely operable-pulling means for the cords, operating means for the said pulling means and a permutation lock having a bolt operatively associated with the said operating means. a 4. A mail box having an entrance slot in its front plate adjacent the upper end thereof, a curved partition within the box,

- terminating at its upper end beneath the I slotof said rod, a lock casing, a shaftjournaled throu h.

the casing, an operating button upon t e outer end of the shaft, a gear upon the inner end of said shaft,'pin 1ons meshing with the said gear, spools carried by the said pinions, o positely extending. cords attached at their a acent ends to the said sleeve and at their opposite ends to the said spools and a permutation lock having a bolt adapted for restraining the movement of one of said gears.

5. A device of the class described comprising a box having an entrance slot, a curved partition within the box, terminating adg'acent said slot and forming a mail-receiving chamber, sight tubes arranged through the front plate of the box and the said partition a mail elevator vertically shiftably arran ed within said chamber, a lock caslng wit in the box, operating means for the elevator attached to the latter and adapted for actuation forwardly of the box, permutation lockingmeans or arranged within said casing and operable exteriorl thereof. 6. A evice-of the class described comrising a box, a mail elevator therein, a casing wlthin the box, an operating shaft for said elevator journaled through the casin operative connections between the said sha and elevator, a star wheel associated with said connections, and a permutation lock for the said casing havin a'shiftable bolt operatively-associated wit the said wheel and operable exteriorly of the box.

In testimonyvwhereof I aflix my signature.

ALEXANDER MIKLEAQ the said operating means 

